Profiling of uremic serum by high-resolution gas chromatography-electron-impact, chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

A fast and reliable procedure for gas chromatographic profiling of components in ultrafiltrated uremic serum has been developed, using glass capillary columns. Sample pretreatment consists of ultrafiltration, evaporation and silylation. Some twenty components are identified by electron-impact and chemical ionization mass spectrometry. A comparison is made between profiles of sera from a series of uremic patients, before and after hemodialysis, and from non-uremic sera. Significant differences are found between these profiles. A "dialysis ratio" is introduced as a parameter for the removal of retained components by hemodialysis treatment.